Travel Globally

Magic Christmas and mushrooms in France

Filed Under France

The Christmas market of Aix En Provence, France is called the Oil and Truffle Christmas Fair. Every December, the doors of the Place Jeanne d’Arc open between 9am and 7pm in celebration of the holiday season with fresh truffles and olive oil.

In this city, this is the first time that they press the olives from the year’s harvest to provide a very popular virgin oil that sold along with the truffles for this seasonal fair.

Collecting truffles is a secret kept well between families who know how to train pigs or dogs in the art of finding these precious gifts from nature. Since one pound of these precious truffles sells for as much as $500 in the market, you will definitely want to keep it to yourself when you get a patch.

The local turf is also guarded from ramblers who try to help themselves to other natural treasures, like morrel and chanterelle mushrooms. There is nothing, however, to stop visitors from spending their money on one of the patches of truffles, whose flavour is so special that there isn’t anything else like it and just a little bit will go a long way.

The truffles at the Oil and Truffle Christmas Fair can enhance scrambled eggs to the best ones that anyone has ever had, and they can make a really fine risotto as well. What is even better is making the most of the markets other produce, using your own olive oil infused with truffle to pour onto salad and pasta dishes.